Hugo enjoys a game of building blocks

A two-tonne greater one-horned rhino was treated to a giant game of building blocks at Whipsnade Zoo to help mark World Rhino Day on Thursday, September 22.

Zookeepers formed a 6ft-high wall by decorating more than a dozen boxes, stuffed with Hugo’s favourite treats for him to discover, and demolish.

World Rhino Day at Whipsnade Zoo. Photo by Joanna Cross.

The 14-year-old male rhino took his time to investigate the stacked boxes and then toppled them over when he discovered they were filled with apples, bananas and bamboo.

He even used his horn to tip one of the boxes up and rummage inside.

Head of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s Asia team, Donovan Glyn, said: “We gave Hugo a brand new game to recognise World Rhino Day; a specially-made set of stacking blocks, stuffed with his favourite foods.

“The tower of blocks may just seem like a bit of fun, but it is really exciting for the rhinos to discover new things in their paddock as they are very inquisitive animals.

World Rhino Day at Whipsnade Zoo. Photo by Joanna Cross.

“A herd of rhinos is also known as a ‘crash’ and this was the perfect description for how Hugo tackled his stacking blocks!”

World Rhino Day is observed every year to raise awareness of the plight of five species of rhinos in the world: greater one-horned, white, black, Sumatran and Javan.

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is also home to a herd of white rhinos, which are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the three other rhino species in the world are categorised as Critically Endangered.